Through the Eyes of a Child
by DemonicTwister
Summary: We watch as our mistresses dance in the Festival, their lives thrown into chaos. Is there really nothing we can do? P.S. I'm back people! About time too!
1. Julia

**Through the Eyes of a Child: Chapter one: Julia: **

Disclaimer: Duran, Julia, Kiyhime, Kagukuchi, Miroku, Diana, Gennai, none of the Childs belong to me.

Rating: K+

Genre: General/Romance (Sort of, from different sides of the story)

Summary: The Himes are running around all the time, thinking about their problems, but what are their Childs thinking? Something I'm sure is different from the usual Mai Hime fic.

Note: There are gong to be subtle mentions of the Himes' Childs desiring their masters. Just something I remember from a conversation that Natsuki and Nagi had with each other in one of those specials in episode 16 of the fourth DVD.

Through the Eyes of a Child:

Chapter One:

**Julia**:

**Julia's POV: **

My name is Julia. At least….that's what this small, beautiful young human being with red ambrosia for hair and emeralds for eyes calls me.

Says that I will be the tool to avenge her dead family and for her injured, comatose mother. If I knew where those scum that killed her family were held, then……no, I should only concentrate on the task at hand, and that is binding these insects with clothes on in my webbings. You know, the insects that my beautiful mistress orders me to capture so she can take the insects' belongings.

It hurts…..that dear Nao only sees me as a weapon to commit her idea of justice…..and yet….I find that I have a hard time resisting the very idea of making these corrupt insects suffer. These beasts that find pleasure in touching members of the female species when those females aren't close to the insects age.

Their like diseases, those insects with clothes are. They are….I believe the human term for it is 'pedophiles.' They are cancers that consume the innocence of the young female members of this human species.

Yes, I may spurt out venom, like any spider, but I only bite when someone tries to hurt my Nao, or attacks me. Insects carry diseases and spread out of the territory that they belong in, only to destroy health, beauty and innocence. That is one of the reasons why I hunt with Nao. To make them suffer for making dear Nao suffer.

And I must say, I almost always feel a connection with the spiders of this dimension when I bind the insects with clothes' arms to their bodies. I feel a connection to this world's spiders because I do believe that the satisfaction that I feel when I can practically taste the insects with clothes' fear is very close to the hunger that this world's spiders must feel when feeling their insects struggle in their webs.

Nao is kicking a newly caught insect with clothes in the stomach. The clothed insect whimpers in fear as it gazes up at me, trembling.

I just grin down at him, the main two of my eight red eyes widening and glowing in terrible delight at the taste of the fear traveling from the clothed insect's covered skin pores drifting through the air.

Mind you, I have more pleasure when I'm opening my jaws and letting all the acid out of my mouth and watching everything disintegrate. The power that Nao revels about me holding. Oh, the pleasure on her face when she sees how powerful and frightening I am. It's those of many moments that makes my compatibility with her all too worth it.

But there is one thing that gives me even more pleasure. It's times when Nao lets her guard down with me. It's when Nao rests her forehead against my chest and allows those drops of moisture fall from her eyes as she suffers from memories of her torn past that makes it worth it.

It's when Nao actually smiles at me as if she's really comforted by my presence that makes it worth it.

I won't deny that I want her. No, I won't deny that at all. I occasionally stroke my filthy claws up her waist when she's leaning her back against me while observing a newly caught clothed insect.

When I do, she just looks up at me and smirks as if to say, "Now don't get too bold, Julia."

Never. Never, my beloved mistress. I'll never defy your wishes.

I know that she doesn't care for me as anything more than a tool of punishment, and perhaps that is for the best. I am a venomous beast, only capable of catching and tormenting the clothed insects that she and I come across.

She should be with a being that is light and will bring her out of this dark, poisonous life she has thrown herself into.

Someone, perhaps like that ice Hime. You know, the one that has that wolf Child, Duran.

Duran and I have sometimes discussed how worried we get once in a while about our mistresses. Yes, we've conversed. Childs can speak to each other telepathically.

I've seen how Nao looks at Duran's mistress when the ice Hime isn't looking. The longing that my mistress has for Duran's mistress.

Perhaps Nao will tell Duran's mistress how she feels. Until then, I will be there for Nao and enjoy the screams of the cancerous clothed insects that she captures.

**Author's Note: **

So now I have three stories in this section out. Now I'm really multi-tasking. Oh joy. Next chapt will be from Kagukuchi's point of view.


	2. Kagutsuchi

**Chapter Two: Kagukuchi: **

**Kagukuchi's POV: **

My kind mistress calls me Kagukuchi. If you are one of the lucky humans who have lain eyes on me, then you know how powerful I am.

I know my power is thanks to Mai, my mistress. Her openness with her emotions are to thank. That is perhaps also why Duran and Julia, two of my many past life-in battle comrades aren't at their full size yet. Because their mistresses, Nao and Natsuki can't accept their own emotions.

I'm well aware how lucky I am to have Mai control me. She shows me more respect than any human that I've ever met has. Many also just back away in fear as my fire-powers burst through me.

Of course, many Orphans fear me as well……like the one Mai has me attacking now.

(Bow down and accept defeat, weakling and I may let you live!) I roar telepathically at the outcast beast.

(You…..why do you serve a mere human?) The Orphan asked me, its thousands of hideous eyes searching my six own proud ones.

How dare this vermin undermine my mistress's capability!

I had considered possibly sparing the creature before, but now the possibility wasn't even going to come up.

The creature had insulted Mai: that was all the reason I needed to incinerate it.

(I will enjoy killing you.) I growl telepathically to the monster as I shot waves of fire from my motor-like wings into the creature's face.

As it's destroyed, I can see that Mai is irritated with me for being so rough.

I have to restrain a mental laugh of good humor. Really, I was one of the most feared Childs, after a much bigger Duran and Kiyohime. Why should I go easy on some low life vermin that talks disgracefully about my mistress?!

She really is a kind being. I know that many males of this human species would not think about her kind heart, they would most likely just think about the physical looks of my mistress.

I fail to understand why the human species obsesses with physical beauty so much. And while I'll admit that she truly is beautiful, her heart attracts me more. Her heart that has room for all, and has such warmth in it for others.

I'll admit that when it comes to doing what she needs to do to survive, she may not be the strongest Hime of all. No, I believe in that sense that would be either Duran's mistress or Julia's mistress. And I'll admit that Mai is not strong willed when it comes to obeying her own will and her own will alone. No, in that perspective, Duran's mistress has the strongest will.

However, Mai……I know that Miroku, Duran, myself and others may just be seen as monsters or things to be used in battle, but we have much deeper feelings than any weapon.

I don't know if Mai ever has or ever will believe me to be anything more than a destructive force of nature that should be kept at bay. I do know that her belief of me being nothing more than a dangerous ticking time bomb is the reason why she's so hesitant to let me out when she fights a disobedient Orphan.

I'll admit that I may be a bringer of death, a dangerous judge of life, but I can also be a protector, if she lets me out.

The fact that she's afraid of letting me out because of how powerful I am doesn't make me feel proud like it normally would. No. If anything, it hurts me greatly, because I realize that she doesn't trust me.

Miroku and Duran are both given complete and utter trust from both of their mistresses.

I wonder….if I could somehow make her see that this proud beast was also a savior….but she is a human and humans naturally fear what they can't control.

Perhaps as my powers increase her trust in me will deteriorate….but despite that I regret nothing. I will protect her and obey her every whim.

I know, a dignified, powerful Child like myself taking orders from a mere human girl child, but I feel no regrets.

I'd do for Mai what Duran would do for his mistress Natsuki, what Julia would do for Nao, what Diana would do for Yukino.

All the pride I've hold, all the fear of me that is held by the Orphans of the dimension from where I originally ruled as a feared beast, it all belongs to Mai and I feel sorry for nothing. Even if she never trusts me, as long as it's for her.

**Author's Note: **

Next perspective will be from Diana's point of view. Oh, and I forget the name of Yukariko's Child, Shiho's Child and Akane's Child, can anyone recall their Child's names?


	3. St Vlas

Chapter Three: St. Vlas: 

**ST. Vlas's POV: **

My mistress, Yukariko calls me St. Vlas. An obvious representing honor of her occupation.

I watch her while she prays a lot of the time. When us Childs aren't being summoned, we lay dormant within our mistresses' elements and we are aloud to watch our mistresses.

I am truly grateful to whatever power in this galaxy gave us permission to do such a thing. If I was forbidden from looking at mistress Yukariko I may have gone mad.

I know that the ones that are called Duran, Julia, Kagutsuchi, Diana, and Yatagarasu in this life would have.

When I say the ones who are called by these names, I mean that these names we have now are just what our mistresses call us. We had other names in our previous dimensions. Don't even try to pronounce our names, not unless you want to bite your tongues off from how twisted it would make your speech.

Ah,……..dear Yukariko, she's praying that God forgive her for the….as she puts them…….., "sinful thoughts" about that art teacher. The one with the glasses. I believe his name is Ishigami. I don't like him. It may just be because I'm jealous, but there's something about that man that makes my Child instincts go on the defensive.

The only reason why I haven't used my illusions to lure him into my vice like wings and crush him, is because Yukariko may never forgive me.

While I dislike the man, I feel sorry for sweet Yukariko because she is so tormented by her human desires for him.

Lust. Ah, one of the seven deadly sins. Humans that are in the same or similar religions as my mistress, as I understand it have actually come up with these sins to categorize the crimes that their fellow humans commit.

Well….at least the crimes that the religion would consider crimes.

Every human being and Child, as I imagine, are all guilty of a certain sin.

All of us Childs are certainly guilty of each sin. Kagutsuchi is guilty of pride. Duran is guilty of both wrath and lust, as is Julia. Yatagarasu's sin is wrath. My sins are pride and envy.

I am a very proud Child, though I do not show it as much as Kagutsuchi does.

I notice that Yukariko is beginning to cry about something. I want to come out and comfort her but she hasn't summoned me yet and besides, she just sees me as a weapon, and she even fears me as a monster sometimes.

She's praying through her tears now. Praying for that blasphemous girl, Alyssa Searrs soul. Why? Alyssa Searrs wasn't even a real Hime! She defied Yukariko and the rest of the Himes. She should have been annihilated by the fire Hime, Mai when she said that she had the chance at that factory where she, the ice Hime Natsuki and the Hime who governs Miroku faced the girl and her pathetic, unfeeling doll.

Miyu. Disgusting. She was an abomination! We Childs and Orphans couldn't be called normal, no, but at least we are natural. We exist through nature. The Hime Star's nature. Miyu was created by defiant humans who only think about making God in their image.

Everything that Yukariko had fought for might as well have been made a cruel mockery as a result of such disgusting resistance.

Miyu wasn't even an Orphan. Even if Orphans and Childs are related, it would be an insult to even call the doll a Orphan.

Hmm….it's that mortal artist Ishigami. Damn him. There's something about him that practically screams, 'untrustworthy.'

As I watch Yukariko getting up and embracing him, I seethed deep down, but I did remind myself that I care for him a little. All of us Childs care for our mistresses' 'precious ones' on some level.

After all, we are compatible with our mistresses for a reason. Although, I only care about Ishigami somewhat. The feelings I have aren't even that comparable with Kiyohime's feelings for his mistress and his mistress's precious one.

Ishigami however, is a sickening character. Well, either way, it didn't matter. Us Childs would be with our mistresses when our mistresses died, not him.

The reason why Childs from previous Hime generations don't come back is because after their mistresses die, the Childs are supposed to watch over their mistresses in the afterlife. At least, that's the theory I've heard many Orphans come up with in my dimension.

If that's the case, then I'm even more happy to be with Yukariko. I couldn't imagine being sent somewhere without being able to watch over her. She truly is a wonderful person. Not the most strong-willed, no, but a lovely hearted woman. Even though I don't like the human male that is infatuated with her, I really don't know why she tortures herself like this. Over every human thought that crosses her mind. Being sinful isn't wrong. It's normal. It's human.

Then again, if we Childs can feel sins, then does that make us human too? Hmmm…..it may not be wise to say that. While I'm passive of such an idea, some of the other Childs may see it as an insult to be compared with humans.

Kagutsuchi would perhaps threaten you with his flames. Duran and Kiyohime would both just flat out rip your throat out if you said that to them. Julia would smirk about it. Well, we can be hateful or smug as we want, but we were lucky this time to be with our mistresses.

And perhaps my hate for Alyssa Searrs and Miyu is normal. Perhaps it makes me human too.

I suppose my hate for Alyssa Searrs and Miyu can be subsided…….for now, if it is for Yukariko. Yukariko is under my protection always.

**Author's Note: **

Okay, St. Vlas's pov done with. Oh, and thank you to the reviewers that sent me the information on Shiho's Child, Yukariko's Child and Akane's Child.

And…..unsurprisingly I got Kagutsuchi's name wrong. Bah, I was never good with names anyway.

In any case, the next POV will be Diana, then it will be Kiyohime.


	4. Diana

Chapter Four: Diana 

**Diana's POV: **

My human mistress calls me Diana. Not sure where she came up with the name. But it's an honor to help her.

Yukino…..I wonder sometimes why she's so timid when she has such a strong passion for the life and rights of others. She's far more decent than I am. I who have been known throughout the centuries to just leave human scum to their deaths, or even choke the life out of them myself with my many light green tentacle like arms.

I won't lie, though I am fond of Yukino, my mistress, the rest of the human species displeases me.

I don't hate them, like Julia, Miroku, Kiyohime and St. Vlas seem to. Nor am I indifferent to them like Duran and Kagustchuchi are. I just feel…..disappointed in their lack of appreciation of the world they live in.

Yukino is presently is calling the other Himes to check if there are any Orphans around. Really, they worry too much sometimes about our brothers and sisters attacking the school.

Yes, brothers and sisters, you see we Childs and Orphans are actually related.

Surprised? Don't be. Don't forget, the current Childs that have been selected as the Himes protectors such as Gennai, myself and the others were only chosen as their protectors because our mind compatibility matched with the Himes.

In other words, if we weren't compatible with Yukino and the others, then we'd be Orphans, just like the creatures we fight.

Now are you surprised? Our brother and sister Orphans will hopefully, in the future three hundred years from now, will be compatible with the next generation of Hime. The twelve of us have never been compatible with any Hime before this generation, which means that in previous instances **we **were the Orphans that had to be hunted and controlled.

So I do feel somewhat sorry for the Orphans we're hunting now. After all, we used to be in the position they're in now, so yes, I do feel we're too harsh with our siblings. After all, why do you think non compatible beings are called Orphans? They're seen as lost ones. Rejected children.

I wish sometimes that they would be given mercy and not seen as mere threats. But rules are rules. I will be forced to kill my brothers and sisters, as will I be forced to attack the other Childs in due time when the feared and fated Carnival arrives.

I'm sure the other Himes, like Yukino are all afraid of what may happen.

My troubled thoughts are interrupted when I hear a certain loud person interrupting Yukino's talk on the phone.

It's the one called Haruka Suzushiro. I have to restrain my seaweed like smile. I know very well how much Yukino cares for her. As a result, I care for her. Every Child of a Hime cares a little for the precious one that their Hime mistresses care for their precious ones. I'm no exception.

In a way, I'm almost happy that we can feel emotions similar to human emotions. Most of the other Childs just see it as a liability to have these feelings. The one called St. Vlas and myself don't see it that way.

It makes us similar to humans and less like the animals we're thought to be. Hm, now Yukino's trying to keep Haruka from getting too riled up. Something about scaring the first years with her temper. Heh, I imagine.

I'm not jealous the way St. Vlas, Duran, Yatagarasu, and Harry seem to be jealous of the people that my Hime mistress loves. I have no qualms of Yukino seeing me as nothing more than a beast. Come to think of it, that's really what we are.

As I said, we were the Orphans in previous centuries, so we've done terrible things to humans as the ones we hunt now do. Our punishments to the humans back then were always brutal.

The one that's called Kiyohime in this life would melt her victims with the acid that comes out of her heads. Yes heads, Kiyohime has six of them.

Duran would just eat the humans, Kagutsuchi would incinerate his victims, St. Vlas would crush them in his wings after entrancing them with his illusions.

Even I, as I mentioned before strangled the life out of some humans in the past. I am truly a disgusting creature, born of seaweed, mirrors and power. No human in their right mind would feel proud to see me.

In some ways, it would perhaps be better when everything has been taken care of and I wasn't able to be with Yukino after the Carnival until after she dies. It would be too much for her to deal with for the rest of her life.

She already has so much that she worries about. I myself, being compatible with Yukino understand a little of how she feels, given how I wonder myself how these human children at this academy could be so uninterested in their lives that they'd waste their time whining about life and where they would rather be.

Because Yukino only sees me as a monster, she'll never know that I have feelings similar to hers, so she and I will always be separated in that sense, even after I'm able to watch over her after she dies, however, I'd like to think along with our concern for Haruka that our thoughts on the foolish humans are somewhat joined.


	5. Kiyohime

Chapter Five: Kiyohime: 

Kiyohime's POV:

My name is Kiyohime. I've heard the story behind that name, and I can only assume that my name has to do with my mistress's feelings for a certain other Hime.

I might have originally seen it as an insult to be summoned out of love for another, since in the dimension us Childs and Orphans come from, love is seen as a weakness. Which is rather ironic, because if we see love as a weakness in our dimension, then it may be a mistake of ours to regard it as such because we are summoned as a result of our Hime mistress's love for their "precious ones."

I almost felt insulted by that when I realized it. Love? The emotion you would normally be looked down on by other Childs for being so weak? Impossible! How could love be a weapon?! But the proof occurred only three years ago when that Hime Natsuki Kuga showed up. Only then was my mistress Shizuru able to summon me.

Shizuru, my playful, yet sometimes frightening mistress has harbored her feelings for Natsuki from the moment she met the other. I know because I sensed such.

I have to say, the fact that we Childs have a tendency to feel emotions for both our mistresses and for the precious ones that cause our mistresses to be able to summon us is very humorous.

How would Shizuru react for example if she ever found out that my feelings for Natsuki were similar to her own feelings for the little stubborn ice Hime? If I wasn't a giant squid beast with six snake heads, I'd be scared to know.

Although, I suspect I wouldn't have to worry much, since if she were to kill me, she'd kill Natsuki, and I know that that will never happen.

Now, you may notice that I refer to myself as "I" when I have six heads. I'm not really sure, myself. We're all Kiyohime, part of the same conscience.

In any case, aside from Shizuru's feelings for Natsuki, Shizuru acts like a proper young lady but she has a dangerous side to her that any human who is smart wouldn't even think about crossing.

Unfortunately, the fact that Shizuru is a young woman, makes her even more susceptible to becoming distraught. She is in love, and is still young. Some would see that combination as a promising future, but for those that are realistic, would understand that that combination could be dangerous. If Shizuru were to ever become jealous of the people that Natsuki is with, or……if Natsuki ever rejects Shizuru's love…..now **that **is something that I rather not think about the outcome of.

Natsuki…..even though some see her as a mere loner, Shizuru's heart belongs to that Hime.

Shizuru made it clear to me, from the moment that I was summoned, what my purpose was: I was only to protect Natsuki. There was no place for me in the Hime Carnival with the other Childs. My only reason for existing on this plane of existence was because I was to protect Natsuki Kuga, the Ice Hime. Duran's mistress. That is my one and only purpose.

I was to leave people to die at the claws, wings and tentacles of my brother and sister Orphans, I could let the world end, but never allow anything to happen to Natsuki.

I will not speak against Shizuru's words, but her logic just doesn't make sense. She tells me not to involve myself with the Carnival unless Natsuki's involved somehow, but the Carnival involves the end of the world, and Natsuki's in the world. Shizuru is brilliant, but her logic just doesn't make sense sometimes.

We Childs are allowed to watch our Hime mistresses when we're not summoned. I suppose you could say that our spirits lie in wait.

We can also contact other Childs mentally during this time from far distances. Speaking of which, maybe I should speak to Duran, see if Natsuki's alright. That will make Shizuru happy, even if it is against the rules.

Yes, rules, even us Childs have to follow some rules as well as every other creature that exists you know. And I've already broken one.

The rule that I've broken is the rule that says that all Childs are forbidden from ever telling their Hime Mistresses who else are Himes. I broke that rule and told Shizuru that Natsuki was a Hime.

Of course, when I say I "told" her, I mean that I lead her to where I sensed Natsuki and those other two Himes, Mikoto and Mai were fending off and Orphan, and let Shizuru see that those three were Himes.

Shizuru had suspected Natsuki of being a Hime, since the other girl always comes to the room where Shizuru works, and seems to always have another bruise or injury somewhere.

Anyway, as I said, I was going to speak mentally to Duran, who unlike me, has not revealed to Natsuki that Shizuru is a Hime.

(Duran,) I called out calmly as Shizuru drank her tea and ignored that loud mouthed human Haruka Suzushiro, (Duran, do you hear me?)

(What?!) Was the angry growl in my mind. I had to restrain a laugh. Ah, Duran, tactful as usual.

(Duran, my friend,) I hiss, making all six of my voices sound friendly as opposed to their usual threatening sounds, (It's been awhile since we've spoken, ne?)

(So what?) Duran growled telepathically, (Kiyohime, I don't have the time for this, Natsuki's recovering from her injuries that she got from our Orphan sister the other night. She needs my strength right now.)

(Of course, my friend,) I said, feeling anger at the thought of Natsuki being hurt, (Is she alright?)

(Why?) Duran sneered, (Is that damn Kyoto woman, what's-her-name wondering?)

This time, I couldn't help but laugh a hissing laugh from all six of my spirit snake heads as I said, (Jealous, Duran? You know you'll always be special to Natsuki.)

(Yes, I know, I don't need you to tell me that.) Duran grumbled, (Now I need to help heal Natsuki with my powers. So I need to focus!)

(Yes, yes, as you wish, Duran.) I said, parting my mind from his aggressive one.

(Kyohime.) I heard Shizuru whisper in my mind, (Were you contacting Duran?)

I chuckled. Yes, Shizuru was brilliant, and very good at being able to tap into our telepathy. She just aims thoughts at me, I'm not sure how she figured it out, but she did.

(Yes, Mistress,) I said, (Natsuki was injured but she's alright now, I believe.)

(Good to know.) Shizuru said, but I could sense fear and unease at hearing that Natsuki had been injured. I can easily relate, for as I've said, I share her affection and adoration for the ice Hime.

I of course, also share a certain amount of jealousy towards the two Himes Mikoto and Mai for being near her. I prefer not to think about how low I am when it comes to those human like feelings. Nevertheless, I feel them and sometimes even despise the beings called Mikoto and Mai for having so much time with her. Though I know I wouldn't be feeing these things without Shizuru.

As Shizuru was now distracted from her thoughts since the loud-mouth was directly in front of Shizuru at the moment.

I went on with my own thoughts. I honestly didn't understand why Shizuru didn't just summon me and force Suzushiro to shut up. In the dimension I came from, Kagutsuchi, Duran, Julia, St. Vlas and myself were highly feared for our enormous sizes, so why shouldn't we enforce authority over those that yell at our mistresses.

Yes, Duran and Julia were also quite large in the previous dimension where we come from. The fact that they are much smaller tells me one thing that troubles me, especially in concern to Duran: It means that their mistresses, Nao and Natsuki do not allow their emotions to be freed.

It makes me worry, because if Natsuki doesn't open up then Duran isn't as powerful as he could be, and since that's the case, Natsuki could be in more danger than necessary.

I love Natsuki, as much as Shizuru does, I'll do anything to help protect her.

I know that most Childs have an adoration for their Hime mistresses instead of for the "Precious ones" that their Hime mistresses care about, bur this is an exception.

Though I don't understand how my mistress thinks sometimes, I will protect and guard Natsuki till we all end. Even if I have to kill all the other Himes and Childs that get in Natsuki, Duran, Shizuru and my way to do so.

**Author's Note: **

See a slight resemblance between how Kiyohime thinks and Shizuru thinks?

Anyway, next chapter will be from Harry's point of view.


	6. Gennai

** Chapter 6****Gennai**

**Gennai's**** POV: **

My name is Gennai. If you have any information of that name, you know that my mistress has a great deal of nobility in her soul, to have that in mind, considering it's the name of a giant toad that helped the poor. At least in stories.

To say that I feel uneasy when Akira goes off on her own and only uses her ninja abilities is an understatement.

She promised her father that she'd never use her Hime powers……but…….for that human boy, what is it, Takumi? Yes, that's it.

I don't understand what the point is of me not being allowed to help Akira when she is in danger when we Childs are meant to protect our mistresses. That was the oath that we all took over three billion years ago. The oath we took, that was made, was said that whenever our time to be chosen to be compatible to a Hime, we were to protect the Hime as hard as we could.

All Childs and Orphans were there when the oath was made, including myself. So you understand how personal it is for me to protect Akira.

I watch her now as she stands on the roof of the apartment building of the school, her hands in her pockets, clad in her usual black and purple gym jacket.

I don't feel any anger towards Akira's father for making her promise not to summon me. After all, it was to protect my mistress from the coming battles. I do, however, feel torn that I can't be with her more.

Akira, though she holds up this charade that she's male, any with a better eyesight would know that she's a young woman. Luckily, most men aren't very smart or noticing, so they can't see.

She has such a kind heart, yet her defense and the hard lessons that were beat into her by her family, so that she wouldn't get involved with the Carnival has made her hard and angry. It hurts me unlike anything else to see her become cold and distant.

I feel completely useless. What good is a sword when it can't be drawn?

What use was the old man's words that told me to guard his daughter, when he later told her to never summon me. Mind you, both of his orders made me want to kill him. Crush him with my giant toad hands.

I remember when Akira first summoned me at her home. Her father saw me and ordered me to guard her. I was infuriated. How dare any human except for my mistress tell me what I was to do! I was one of the most feared Childs that existed, why should a mere human tell me what to do, even if that human was the father of my mistress.

I remember, at the old man's order, I caused quite a ruckus in my rage. I killed several of his ninja guards and tried to get him, till Akira ordered me to stop, and of course, I had to.

I don't regret my savage behavior that day, I don't. In the dimension we Childs come from, each of us had our own means of punishment to those that ordered us or defied us. With Kagutsuchi it was burning to death, with Duran it was ripping their throats out with his fangs, with Julia and Kiyohime it was melting their prey with their acid attacks, with me, it was either crushing them with my large metal body, or ripping their bodies apart with my mace that shoots out of my throat.

When Akira's father told her that she could no longer summon me, so as to hide the fact that she was a Hime, I hadn't reacted at all, but my feelings had felt worse. I felt like for once, in the thousands of years of my cruelty, I had a heart, that ironically broke when I realized I had it when the old man told her not to summon me.

Akira, as she promised to the old man hadn't summoned me for years. I could sense though that she wanted to do the right thing and fend off the Orphans of this world, but she couldn't break her promise. I hate seeing her so conflicted.

It's worse when she has to break her promise to the old man. Akira has only summoned me a few times, and the only recent time was when she was protecting the boy Takumi from my Orphan brother, who's gluttonous appetite is the size of the void that allowed our brother and sister Orphans to come into this dimension in the first place.

A part of me hates Takumi for forcing Akira to expose who she really was, and forcing her to endanger herself that way.

And another part of me envies the boy. Yes, envies him, because he has Akira's affections. I don't. I'm nothing more than a weapon to her. A sword as I said.

That boy…..if my mistress didn't feel such feelings for him, then I'd have killed him along with all the rest of the hundreds of Orphans that I've killed.

"Gennai!" I hear my name be called out as I'm summoned by my mistress.

I delight in the fact that she wants me out, obviously one of the few times she's going to use me, for whatever purpose.

Imagine how stunned I am when I see that what my mistress is asking me to defend her against is another Hime!

Yes, another Hime. I know who this one is too. Julia's mistress. The one Julia refers to as Nao. She was trying to kidnap Takumi, Akira's friend.

(Julia!) I yell telepathically, (Julia, why are you doing this?!)

(I have no choice,) Was the answer from the giant spider, (The other Himes, the boy's sister, and the other Himes have turned against Nao, I have to protect her! They've already hurt her eye, I won't let them hurt anymore of her.)

Damn it, Julia, though I couldn't blame her, could I? She was just following orders and protecting her mistress.

Julia, it hurts so much. Julia and I you see were childhood friends. When I say childhood friends, I'm talking about thousands of years ago. We were raised by an older Child named Gakutenou. Yes, Gakutenou, don't be surprised if you've heard his name before, he's a rather famous Child, even in this world.

My poor Akira, she's terrified of losing Takumi. As I unleash my smoke screen, allowing Akira and the boy to escape from Julia and her mistress, I yell to Julia telepathically.

(Julia!) I call, (Stop this, the Hime's brother had nothing to do with your mistress's injury, he's innocent. Please, lead your mistress to the wrong location, or something.)

(I can't.) Was Julia's said response, (Gennai, please understand, I don't have a choice. I have to be there for Nao. You know this just as well as I do. We all made that pact thousands and thousands of years ago. You know what we were ordered to do. To protect our mistresses.)

(Don't use that oath fodder on me, Julia!) I yelled as I hopped along with Akira and the boy, (You know nothing good will come out of attacking us. It'll hurt your mistress too, won't it?)

Julia sighed in my mind, (Gennai, wouldn't you do the same for your mistress if she ordered you to do this?)

At hearing that, my heart almost broke a second time. Yes, I would have done the same for my Akira. Anything she wanted, I would have done. If she told me to destroy all of Japan, I'd do it.

(You would do it, wouldn't you?) Was Julia's thought reply, (So you have to understand, why I'm doing this.)

As soon as Julia's thoughts ended like that, she suddenly landed right in front of us with her mistress on her back.

Julia's mistress spoke out coldly, and evil smirk on her face, "If you want to blame anyone, then curse your sister and her friends!"

She extended her claws out towards us.

(I'm sorry, Gennai.) Julia thought to me.

(So am I.) I said to my child hood friend.

Just when I was about to be forced to use my powers on Julia, I heard a very familiar voice in my head.

(Hell, I leave all of you alone for a few centuries, and this is what happens?!)

I froze at hearing that thought. It couldn't be, could it? It was. Gakutenou!

Gakutenou landed between Julia and myself.

"I'll buy you some time!" Gakutenou's mistress yelled to my mistress.

"I owe you one!" Akira yells to this new Hime.

(Thank you, so much, Gakutenou!) I yelled to the Child that protected Julia and myself since childhood, (Please don't hurt Julia.)

(You know I won't.) Gakutenou called, (Now run, you know how relentless Julia is. I can't hold her off for much longer.)

I didn't answer. I just bounded through the forest. I'm sorry, Gakutenou, but I can't let Akira and her friend get hurt.

It feels disgraceful. Even though I've lived for centuries, won thousands of battles, I am now running like a terrified two hundred year old Child that hasn't learned yet to take care of itself from its own best friend.

This was going to be a long night.

**Author's Note: **

Okay, in case you didn't notice, this chapter takes place during the fifth DVD, in episodes I think 20 or 21, I forget which.


	7. Harry

**Chapter 7****: Harry**

My name is Harry. I know that that's short for some kind of beast, a type of tiger, I believe. But really, did my mistress have to cut the name so short? Harry is just not a very fierce name.

Oh well, whatever my mistress Akane wants.

I feel that when it comes to mistresses, that I got a very lucky deal. Many other Childs before me had abusive or neglecting mistresses.

Julia, Kiyohime, and Yataragetsu as I understand it, all have mistresses that treat them as nothing more than tools, pieces of power to fuel their desires. Gennai, and Miroku are just seen as a means to an end by their mistresses.

Kagutsuchi, and St.Vlas's mistresses fear their Childs powers. Are terrified of their Childs powers, and dare not unleash the powers under any circumstance.

Gakutenou, Diana, Duran and myself are the lucky ones. We have mistresses that respect us, but don't fear us. Trust in our powers but don't abuse our powers to their desires.

Akane is one of the most gentle people I know. It's strange really. I am a Child, yet Akane often summons me and lets me sit down on the ground, and she sits down next to me and talks to me about things as if I'm another human being.

I know many of my brothers and sisters would be offended if they were treated like humans and not proud Childs, and I was angered by this treatment at first too, but now I can't complain.

It seemed disgusting, that I, a powerful Child, feared all over our dimension would be treated as a human would be. Duran and I had been inseparable demonic beasts, we had struck fear in all of the lower Childs, defiant Orphans and humans, so the fact that a mere human girl could worm her way into my steel, cold, unfeeling, wild heart amazes me to no end.

We often sit somewhere in the forest, which is one of Akane's loves, besides that human boy Kazuya, or Kazu as Akane calls him sometimes.

I'm pleased that Akane has the type of relationship. I don't feel any jealousy towards him for having Akane's affections. True, I wish it were me that she showed such need and companionship with, but I'm a Child and she's a human. Sort of a problem. And she's happy with him, that's all that matters to me.

Akane is very decent, she has followed the Hime rule of defending the earth from our brother and sister Orphans.

I've taken down at least seven Orphans in her name. The eighth I wasn't able to get. It attached itself to a bus and Akane and I had to fend it off. Unfortunately it got away.

There is, however, something that disturbs me about that incident. There was a girl there that had blue hair and red eyes. Akane confided in me, telling me that the girl's name was Miyu Greer.

Akane is afraid that this Miyu girl, who seems to go to the same school as my mistress will tell Kazuya that my Mistress is a Hime.

But that's not the reason why she makes me uneasy. There's something unsettling about this Miyu girl. We Childs have very good senses of smell. Especially Duran and myself, and every human has their own individual scent.

What disturbs me about that girl, Miyu, is that…………she has no scent.

I wish I could tell Akane this, but I don't know how to speak the human tongue, and it's against the rules of the Childs to speak to their mistresses telepathically.

Akane……I'll protect her as hard as I can, but I fear what the presence of this Miyu may mean.

Presently, I'm watching her inside her mind. She is with Kazuya at the moment, they're walking through a forest of bamboo. I'm rather relieved that Akane can have some peace and quiet away from all the Orphan battles.

Usually, after a fight, Akane can't handle her own abilities and cries into my steel body. I don't know why. Maybe it's because she can't stomach the fact that she's killed, or maybe the power is too overwhelming.

She's talked about Kazuya a great deal to me. About how he's become her world and she wants to marry him. I'm afraid of this claim of hers……because her wishes may not so easily fulfilled, considering what will happen soon.

The Festival.

I'm afraid of what will be taken from her when another Hime comes to fight her. My brothers and sisters, Gennai, Julia, Duran, myself and all the others are under rules to protect our mistresses against all, and kill the Childs of the enemy Himes, which means I will be fighting one of my brothers and sisters if it means to protect Akane.

I just hope beyond all means that one of my siblings that I fight with will not be my dear friend Duran.

My troubled thoughts are distracted when I suddenly hear a cry through the forest. It's Miyu!

"Akane, help!" She cries fearfully, "It's the same monster from before!"

It seemed that the "girl" was right, the same beast that had attached itself to the bus, it had followed Miyu.

Well, as much distrust as I felt for Miyu, I wouldn't defy Akane's wishes of protecting others.

As Akane summoned me, her head down as she apologized to Kazuya for not telling him sooner, I faced my brother.

(Brother,) I hear my Orphan sibling call, (You know this is dishonorable. Siding with a human against your brothers and sisters.)

(Silence.) I spat, (You know nothing of my mistress. You'll understand in three or more centuries when you're compatible with another Hime later on.)

There was a hissing of telepathic rage from my brother as he attacked.

Akane summoned her weapons, within a few seconds we clashed.

Akane sent her elements at my brother, my powers surged and my fangs bared. The next few minutes resulted in my brother's scream of agony and the green particles that are left behind when one of our kind are defeated.

As Akane turned to face the stunned Kazuya, I narrowed my deep orange eyes at where my defeated brother had been. Was this the fate that Duran awaited? Or me? Or Kiyohime? True, I shouldn't be surprised, since after all I wasn't compatible with any of the previous Himes before I was summoned by Akane, so I suffered this fate continually for centuries, as had Duran, Miroku, Diana and all the other Childs that are Childs now instead of Orphans have suffered what my brother suffered just now for centuries.

But now it's different. I have Akane in my life. I have come to see her as more precious to me than any part of my life. Which was a great difference from my former life throughout all those centuries.

Because back then, I cared for no one except myself, with the exception of Duran, my hunting partner.

My thoughts are cut off when Miyu suddenly acts. I try to pull away in time, in fact I manage to jump when she lunges at me, but then a blade is unsheathed from out of no where and stabbed right through me!

Pain shot literally through me as the blade passed through my metallic body.

"Harry!" I heard Akane scream. Oh, god…..is this it?! I'm not even going to fight in the Festival?! Centuries and centuries of fighting and this…..thing that I can't identify is stabbing me and it's over with?! How could this be so disgraceful!

I wouldn't even get to see my brother and friend, Duran again. I slowly faded away, my body disintegrating, the image of my precious Akane standing there, her hands against her face in horror at my defeat.

(I'm so sorry, Akane.) I thought to myself, (I'm sorry that you'll lose Kazuya. And I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you better…….I'm so sorry.) then everything went black, my last thoughts were of Duran and Akane.

**Author's Note: **

In case you didn't notice, this was of when Harry was defeated by Miyu, in episode 8.


	8. Yataragasu

**Disclaimer: The usual, I own nothing except this story.**

**Note: Yes, I'm alive! It's me, old friends. Alive and kicking—err writing I mean. And another chapter of "Through the Eyes of a Child"**

**Through the Eyes of a Child: Yataragasu:**

**Yataragasu's POV:**

My name is Yataragasu. My name is as close as any of the Hime's Childs that will be anywhere close to my true name. A name that means hatred, a name that means devastation, a name that means death.

I am Yataragasu, in my previous life, in the dimension where we Childs used to exist before we were summoned by our mistresses for the Hime battles, I was used on a regular basis by other powerful Childs to carry out errands and destroy the less powerful Childs of our lands.

The way that I drew my power was by feeding on the hatred and envy that all the other Childs felt for their superiors. My powers exist because my evil exists in every heart, Child and human alike.

Their black hatred is my pure life force.

What a miserable, pitiful, evil creature I am. I wasn't always like this, you know. I had a pack of fellow Childs over 50,000 years ago that I loved as my own biological family, but they were destroyed right in front of me.

A very powerful Child named Kagutsuchi destroyed all of them.

My mistress, Shiho Munakata, a Hime most worthy of my terrible powers now summons me once more.

There is one problem with my powers. I am a being that is summoned by someone with nothing but hatred in them. A corrupted love if you will. As a result, because the emotion that summons me is so severe, and people tend to wish that those terrible feelings don't exist, Shiho has not realized yet that she is summoning me.

In other words, she's summoning me without fully realizing it. I think she's starting to suspect it, but I can't be sure.

I'm summoned again and I sadly look over at my mistress. She is beautiful in her own deranged way. Her beautifully colored hair flies around her head as her unique gold eyes stare wordlessly at the night sky.

She is holding that terrible instrument; the flute that is used to summon me.

I will soon hear that chilling tune that all crows hear, the tune that make all crows into bringers of death.

Is she even aware that I'm capable of sentient thoughts like she is? If so, does she realize that I'm worried for her?

Even if she was doing this consciously, with her knowledge of doing it, surely doing what she's been doing has been killing her inside. She must be feeling some kind of guilt.

I tell myself this, hoping to find some goodness in my mistress, though by now I know I'm only fooling myself. I know what's at the pit of Shiho's soul.

A rotted and hollow core.

Shiho Munakata is dead. A hollow vessel with a dead core. Is she even aware of this herself? Of course not. She is so sure that these actions are the results of the "pure" love she feels for that human male; Yuuichi Tate.

What a foolish girl.

Then again, I was selected to be compatible with her because of similar power signatures, not because of similar intelligence.

Really, I sometimes wonder, not just about her intelligence, but her sanity as well. Her mind is crumbling. She loves that human male so devastatingly, yet the only thing that has been devastated is her precious sanity.

I've seen her memories you know. She used to be a completely innocent child. Maybe a little mischievous, but very gentle. Her love seems to have warped her. Made her into something she wasn't supposed to be.

She wasn't supposed to be a monster.

Back in the world we Childs and Orphans came from, I might have been ruthless, both before and after Kagutsuchi murdered my family, but at the very least I had my sanity in check, at least my soul was intact.

This girl, I don't know how much of either of those are left with her. She's such a different person than from when I first was summoned by her.

Back then, she was only protecting herself.

Back when there had been Orphans summoned by that fake Hime Alyssa Searrs, Shiho only summoned me for the first time so as to protect herself from those very Orphans.

Her mind was curious and unguarded back then, however, over time, as she's been hospitalized, her feelings for Tate have warped her. She's become less and less like the person I idolized myself working under.

Death, pain, destruction, hatred….that's all that seems to be left in her soul. And she uses it to summon me to carry out her rage and the jealous hate she feels for that other Hime, the Hime of fire, Mai.

Kagutsuchi's mistress.

At this rate, I realize that I might not be able to bring myself into making the choice of looking after Shiho when she dies.

You're probably wondering what I mean by "choice of looking after Shiho when she dies." Well, let me explain that.

When a Hime's Child comes to meet the Hime for the first time, the Child meant to protect the Hime is left with a choice. The choice is whether or not the Child will look after the Hime's soul even in death or not.

The Childs that decide to follow their Hime will be able to look after their respective Hime's souls forever. They will enter the land of the dead with their Hime's souls to look after the Hime.

On the other hand, if the Child decides otherwise, decides not to follow his or her Hime, then that Child will be condemned to remain forever on earth, reincarnated again and again with a somewhat human body.

This is the case with a previous Kagutsuchi.

The Kagutsuchi that was used in the previous Festival wasn't brave enough to follow his Hime.

In fact, the Hime that used him was fine with that, but instead, her companion, the Crystal Hime chose to stay on earth and absorbed the old Kagutsuchi's abilities.

That is how much of a coward the old Kagutsuchi was. He was too scared to follow his respective Hime, instead he melded with another Hime, the winner of the Festival before; the Crystal Hime.

What a coward. However, I vaguely wonder if I will be following his example soon. You see, those Childs that do not follow the Hime's souls after the Hime's death are considered in our society to be cowards, traitors even.

For you see, following and protecting our Himes is our duty to the very end, even in the afterlife.

The Kagutsuchi from the previous Festival, however, didn't have the courage to do that. He stayed behind with the Crystal Hime.

I now wonder why he stayed behind. Did he see something in his own Hime that wasn't worth protecting? And what happened to the Crystal Hime's Child? Where was Hermes? Why wasn't he here?

Hermes….ah, like the Greek god he had been named after, was a very cheerful Child. You would never have met more friendly creature, well outside of that little Hime that summons Miroku.

But why wasn't Hermes here to protect the Crystal Hime?

Had she given him up? When had she acquired Kagutsuchi's spirit powers? Back in the world of the Childs and the Orphans, Hermes had been one of my dearest friends, but now I didn't even know where he was.

However, I wonder….if he left the Crystal Hime? Could I also leave Shiho then? Leave her and find Hermes?

I'm sure that if any other Child was witnessing my thoughts right now, they'd call me a coward. But believe me, they'd withhold their accusations if they saw the thoughts that I saw in Shiho's mind.

This poor depraved girl is only thinking about one thing right now; killing Mai Tokiha, the present Kagutsuchi's master.

Well, I can't really say I'm complaining about this Kagutsuchi being destroyed. This Kagutsuchi was the one that murdered my family. The other one, the one that melded with Hermes' master, the Crystal Hime did nothing to me ever.

Mai's Child on the other hand…..destroyed my life.

He killed my family. Now I would help kill him. I could withhold my judgments towards Shiho till later. I wanted Kagutsuchi to suffer now.

(Hello, Kagutsuchi,) I almost growl in telepathy, (Long time, no see as the humans say.)

(Yataragasu,) Kagutsuchi said calmly, (It seems that the blood from Childs and Orphans are not enough. You want my Mistress's too.)

I seethe at this. He's the one that destroyed my life 50,000 years ago and he claims that I'm bloodthirsty? What a joke.

(Kagutsuchi,) I spit out, (You've existed long enough. We will destroy you.)

(Yataragasu,) Kagutsuchi said in a wavering voice, and for once I'm startled. Since when has the great Kagusuchi wavered? (Don't do this,) Kagutsuchi almost pleaded, (You already killed my mistress's brother Takumi.)

(That wasn't my fault!) I yelled angrily, (Shiho ordered me. You would have done it too if Mai ordered it. I didn't want to do it. That boy was an innocent.) I know what he's talking about.

Gennai, The giant toad Child that the Hime Akira ordered was able to be summoned by Akira's love for Mai's little brother, Takumi. When I destroyed Gennai, I killed Takumi.

I wish there had been another way. Takumi seemed like such an innocent child too.

However, what I was doing now, I was doing of my full pleasure.

I had been hesitant to fight Mai until I realized that Kagutsuchi would be summoned. When Shiho first started to summon me, I didn't want to help her. She was going to terrorize Mai to get her way, but now Kagutsuchi was about to be summoned, and I now had no qualms about attacking.

Mai might have been innocent, but her Child sure wasn't.

However, there was one problem; the human male Tate was with Mai. He was an innocent. If he got hurt here…..

Shiho removed the ghostly white veil she had thrown over her head to disguise herself, revealing to both Mai and Tate who she was. The shock on both of their faces is clear as dawn.

Shiho is declaring her mad love to Tate, trying to make excuses for her insane actions.

At that moment, I realize that I can no longer feel any sympathy for my mistress. I might fight now because of my hate for this current Kagutsuchi, but Shiho has lost her mind, clearly.

"Disappear." She whispers, bringing her dreaded flute out. The flute which held a tune I must obey. Bringing it to her lips and playing the accursed tune, I am brought forth from the shadows, opening my gigantic, ebony wings.

My wings of death were the last things thousands of my victims, human and Orphans alike saw before they were destroyed.

As the fight commences, Kagutsuchi and I clashing, I watch as Shiho shows more and more signs of her dementia. Tate, the human male begs Mai to destroy me so that the fight will be over.

Poor Mai, seeing what she'll have to do.

I am also aware that Duran's mistress, Natsuki is here and that her powers have returned. Don't ask about that. My sister Kiyohime sent me a mental message that Natsuki was unable to use her powers for a while.

I also sense that Miroku's mistress, Mikoto is here.

I at first think nothing of this, until Mikoto springs forth, unleashing her weapon on me.

Instantly, after the blow from her sword is given, I feel tremendous relief and gratitude. Thank you, Mikoto, Miroku. Now Shiho can't use me for evil anymore.

I might be destroyed now, but for those who know of me, I am Yataragasu, and I am death. I am the evil in every being's heart. When you hear my scream of desire for blood, beware, your time is up.

**Author's note:**

**Wow, it's been a long time. Well, back to work! Now let's see, let's look at the list of things I need to update. (Wipes dust off of monitor) **


	9. Miroku

**And here we have Miroku's chapter, man it's been awhile. Need to stretch out my unused fingers again. **

Chapter 9: Miroku

**Miroku's Pov: **

My name is Miroku. That is what this little….er….wild animal seems to call me. I am named for a great monk of Japan. Mikoto seems insistent that I be used for good, yet she is so naïve.

Mikoto, my small, agile, overly hyperactive mistress, who I hate to say, tosses me over her shoulder as if I'm a backpack.

Now, as one of the most powerful Childs in the dimension where we Childs and Orphans come from, I am usually very proud and don't allow myself to be seen as a mere possession.

Of course, the fact that I take the form of a sword makes me seem like a mere possession more than anything else.

However, ever since I first fell into Mikoto's hands, when she summoned me, the night her Grandfather died she has been tossing me around like a plaything.

At the beginning I felt like breaking the rules and actually speaking to her telepathically, yelling, (Put me down, I am not a toy, little girl!)

However, I've gotten used to it. All of us Childs must get used to the lives that we're suited to in this plain of existence. That is the price we must pay as having the privilege of being the Himes' servants.

As of this moment, all I see is the inside of Mikoto's duffel bag, so I can't really tell you what's going on in this strange outside world of humans, but I hear a great deal of yelling.

There's the sound of screaming and the vibration of the ground, thanks to all of my brother and sister Childs running trouble me. What is happening out there?

Back in the dimension we Childs come from, we **are **the cause for alarm amongst everyone. We cause the problems. I can sense danger coming closer though, and I wonder whether or not I should make myself into my true form to protect Mikoto.

My sweet, sweet Mikoto who would do nothing intentional to hurt an innocent. She's so young and naïve. I've sometimes wondered what would happen if she fell into the wrong hands….if anyone dares hurt her…well, they may just hope that one of my brothers and sisters get them first.

It may come as a surprise: A flying sword with seemingly no ability to have arms or legs being threatening. However, I've always been able to destroy things just by floating. Mikoto, I worry about her sometimes, and I don't know how much power will be required to help her. My powers are designed to be of use to the Obsidian Prince, though I do not wish to serve him.

I know that Mikoto will fight against her two beloved friends, Natsuki, Duran's mistress and Mai, Kagutsuchi's mistress, the two Himes that are the closest things that Mikoto has to family after her blood brother, who I know to be that sly, evil boy Reito Kanzaki, the Obsidian Lord's vessel to get into this world.

Mikoto has cried often to herself as she lies in bed, whispering against the bed how Mai treats her like a child and doesn't regard her with real feelings, and she whispers that Natsuki doesn't care about her at all and doesn't treat her like a little sister would want to be treated.

I know she's in pain. That's why she searches for her brother Reito, because she doesn't believe that Natsuki and Mai care about her.

I thought about breaking the rules, about speaking to her through telepathy and telling her that she's loved, and cared for. But as a Child like myself that's over 5000 years old and was there when the first Himes in the caves during the age of the giant mammals, I knew very well that the rules were to be reveled in praise and never to be broken, so I've never risked it.

I worry though. I worry about how she so willingly gives her love to anyone that comes by and shows her affection. She'll show love to anyone. She gives love so freely and innocently, I know that she'll be hurt one of these days.

Love, bah, that's an emotion that all of us Childs see as a weakness. And yet, despite that, we know that it's a weakness, but we still feel it for our mistresses.

I'll be lying to you, if I told you we Childs feel what would be described as "innocent" love towards our mistresses. No, not one of us love our mistresses in any innocent way. In fact if any of us had human bodies, it wouldn't stop us at all from holding and taking our mistresses right there. The only safety our mistresses have from us is the fact that none of us have human bodies.

Well, there's that, and the fact that Mikoto only sees me as a tool, a sword, nothing else.

Despite how much I dislike the fact that Mikoto only sees me as a tool, I know that I must keep her safe. Whether she is brainwashed by that necklace that her dark brother gave her or the innocent kitten that doesn't understand the evils of the world I must protect her. Because I love her.

I need to protect her from the evils that exist, and that includes her brother. Reito. The master of deception.

I know that it's fairly inevitable; I will be called as an alley to the prince and be forced into my full Child form as a result. I will be forced to fight against Duran, Kagutsuchi, and whoever else is left after the horrific events of the Festival are over.

Mikoto has already used me to destroy Gakuteno and Yataragasu.

The pain of that was too much. Not only did I have to murder my old friend and brother Yataragasu but I now had destroyed a human male in the process. An innocent named Tate.

That's what's so terrible about the trials of the Hime. Innocents are destroyed in the battles because our mistresses' love for their precious ones is what gives us power.

One would think that wonderful, however, if they knew the truth, and knew what exactly the Hime's lost when they were defeated by their fellow Hime.

Hime can't even end it by killing themselves. If they do, their loved ones will die anyway.

With this in mind, I know that there's no way I can stop the Festival. No matter how much I want to protect Mikoto from the horrors of reality, I know what will happen continually.

Mikoto has already seen the horrors of destroying fellow Childs, I can only hope that Mai and Natsuki can make her snap out of it in time.

My precious Mikoto. I've watched her grow over time, becoming more naïve than wise.

She believes that she doesn't know how to love. Poor girl, that's not true. She loves, if not too much. But she doesn't know how to love individually.

She doesn't know that her feelings for Mai the Hime are romantic feelings.

As much as I'd love to beat it into her that she has the right type of love, it would be breaking the rules.

I can sense that we are approaching another enemy. I don't know who it will be that Mikoto has me destroy this time, but I know I will not enjoy it.

I can only hope that Mai helps her in time before the Obsidian Prince wins. I put aside all my fears; Mikoto dying, Mikoto suffering from seeing anything happen to Mai and Natsuki, Mikoto suffering from finding out just how evil the Obsidian Prince is by possessing her brother; everything and readying myself for another terrible battle.

The least I can do is hope that I will be able to follow Mikoto after she dies. I can't be a Kagutsuchi from the previous Festival and remain on earth to meld with the Crystal Hime like a certain other Child did.

What a fool.

However, Mikoto, my beloved, if I can I will follow her always. A sinner should be with another sinner. I hope my sins in time will be forgiven, as will hers.

**Author's Note: **

**Next up, Duran.**


	10. Just An Author's Note

**Hello, people. Okay. So as I'm sure many know, it's been forever since I've updated…..well ANYTHING of mine. Sheesh, shakes head. **

**Well, I can't promise much, but here's one story update from me. It's not much since it's one freaking chapter, but It'll do.**

**Now, as some of you may be familiar with my "Through the Eyes of A Child" series may know, I'm raveling down the list of Childs to write about. I think Duran and Gakuenou's Point of views are the only ones left. This is as close as I can imagine getting to expressing the Childs' feelings in the series, considering how they don't even talk. **

**I actually have had inspiration for a new Mai Hime fic thanks to a certain movie trailer I saw on a DVD extra. So actually I have new reason to come back. Yay!**


	11. Duran

Now it's Duran's turn to speak.

**Duran's POV:**

My name is Duran. It's a lot less intimidating than my older name back when I was an Orphan in the…._Other _world. Still, my mistress gave it to me and I bear it with pride. My mistress, my beautiful Natsuki.

I'm more proud than the other Childs are. At least, I think I am. I certainly have the best mistress there is. In a way, she made me feel like I was a better Child than I was centuries ago.

Back in the world we Childs and Orphans come from, I was one of the most infamous, murderous Orphans there was. I was the closest thing my world had to a prolific criminal. I didn't care who I destroyed; a politically powerful Orphan, a mere lowly thief or trespasser. Anything to relieve me of my anger.

I love my Mistress, dearly. She has let me see the honorable soul that she possess, and I believe that I have been changed by it. And yet, I'm a traitor. Yes, you heard me, a traitor. I know, a Child is supposed to obey his or her mistress, no matter what the order. But nonetheless I am a traitor.

My mistress named me after her dog, Duran, her closest friend back when she was an infant.

I want to pride myself on how much of a good Child I am for her, but by this point I can't exactly say that, can I?

I watch her in while I'm in her mind, watching her sleep and for me it's painful. I see her cry in her sleep as she has nightmares of her mother. I hate that I'm not more physically human. I hate that I don't have hands so that I can wipe away the tears that form at the edges of her eyes, as she has her nightmares. I hate that I don't have arms that can hold her in her sleep, I hate that I'm not allowed by rules to speak to her telepathically so that I can soothe her.

By rules of all Childs of Hime, I am allowed to make a choice after my mistress dies. I can either stay on earth just like the previous cowardly Kagutsuchi that became one with the previous winner of the Carnival, the Crystal Hime.

Or I can follow Natsuki in death and I can protect her soul in the afterlife. I've always looked forwards to the latter part of the options and yet, now realizing how much of a traitor I am for her, perhaps I deserve to remain on earth with the previous Kagutsuchi who didn't follow his Hime in death.

I feel that I was very lucky in getting the Hime mistress that I did. Natsuki is so much better to me than all the other Hime are to their Childs. The Hime Mikoto, Nao, Yukino, and Shiho, they just see their Childs as tools. Weapons really. And Mai and Yukariko are afraid of their Childs.

Natsuki on the other hand has never feared me. She's never treated me as just a weapon either.

In fact, even from the first moment I was summoned by her, I realized that she would treat me with the utmost respect and companionship. You can't imagine how overjoyed I was when I first felt her emotions and realized how she saw me.

We Childs are the stuff of nightmares; we're where stories like "the boogeyman," werewolves, vampires, loch ness monsters, and aliens come from. Humans see us and immediately are terrified of us or see us as objects.

My noble mistress has never done either.

Though I do endlessly worry about her.

I used to be a very large Child. I was huge physically back in my world. As big as a Kagutsuchi. Possibly bigger. The Child that is called "Julia" in this world was quite big too before becoming attached to the Hime Nao.

This is for a reason that's quite obvious. Both Natsuki and Nao are suppressing their emotions because of their traumatic experiences. This has resulted in the two of us being much smaller than we were actually meant to be.

My Natsuki is a noble, brave and wonderful young woman…who blocks her emotions to the point that she's suppressed and so am I.

At this very moment, I'm watching her in my mind and we're tracking another Hime, the one called Shiho, Yatagarasu's mistress. Apparently, the Hime Nao and her Child Julia attacked Mai's little brother, Takumi. When Mai and Natsuki went to help him, Yatagarasu and Shiho interfered.

Now we were tracking where that insane Shiho and her Yatagarasu went. I wish the Child that's called Harry was here. Yes, Harry. He was the closest thing I had to a brother back in the world we came from.

My brother was my companion in our world for almost thousands of years. He looked after me and I looked after him. When we were both summoned by our respective mistresses, we were both overjoyed that we were going to be summoned in the same century. But we knew the price. We would have to fight each other, just like all the other battles in the Festival.

Though not now. Harry had been defeated already. Already I suffered the death of my brother. He was murdered by that abomination, Miyu. I hadn't even had the honor of fighting my brother and giving him the mercy of dying by my claws and element instead of any other Childs' abilities.

Luckily we stopped Miyu and that fake bitch Hime before when she tried to take over the school.

Now, how was I going to stop the Festival from taking Natsuki from me, or just from Natsuki disappearing period. I needed a way for her to be safe completely from the rest of the Hime and their Childs.

I've seen her at her most vulnerable. I've watched her cry. I've watched her at her strongest. I've seen her in her most painful positions. Albeit, she's never actually admitted to anyone that she's in pain. Well, she never tells anybody except me of course. That's why I know that I am blessed with the best Hime. The rest of the Childs would never be honored with their Hime telling them about their problems. But me, me, my Hime tells me everything when she needs to. She trusts me. She trusts me in battle, and she trusts me with her problems.

It's true, I know that my friend and brother Harry was treated as a friend by his Hime, Akane, but still, I don't believe that their bond could ever surpass Natsuki and mine.

And I must say, I do _not _envy Miroku, Kagutsuchi and Gennai and their Hime; Akira, Mikoto and Mai's relationships.

Mai fears Kagutsuchi, almost to the point that she hates him for how dangerous he is. Mikoto and Akira treat their Childs as mere tools. Nothing else. But Mikoto especially, for such a loving child who appears to love all of those around her selflessly seems to hold no affection whatsoever for her Child, who she sees as a mere object and servant.

And then of course there are those that I do envy. Only I envy a certain _human. _I envy that wretch. I envy that worthless flirt of a human who can hold Natsuki in her arms if she wants and can even kiss her if she wants….amongst other things.

Shizuru Fujino.

That damned human. I hate her. The fact that Kiyohime is her Child is her _only _redeeming quality.

There are times when I seriously have to restrain myself from summoning myself and attacking Shizuru, ripping her throat out.

But then, I know what will happen if I do that. Natsuki will disappear. I know the rules of the Carnival. Natsuki is Shizuru's most precious person, if anything happens to either Shizuru or Kiyohime, Natsuki will cease to be.

That will kill me and not just physically. Whatever emotions I'll feel before I am destroyed along with Natsuki will be of anguish, despair, sorrow and desperation. Those agonizing feelings will be the last things I experience before I disappear after I watch Natsuki disappear before me if anything happens to Shizuru or Kiyohime.

So, seriously, killing Shizuru, is unfortunately, out of the question.

Funny, isn't it? I've had thousands of years to experience how to kill Orphans and Childs and even humans that have been unfortunate enough to cross my path, and yet now I'm stuck, unable to kill a mere human of nineteen because of her feelings for my Hime.

Unfortunately, living as long as I have and knowing the things that I know, I know very well what the Carnival will bring. As I said, Natsuki is Shizuru's most precious person, and the whole point of the Carnival is so that the strongest Hime will be found and be granted a great power so that she will save the world.

Part of that deal is that all the other Hime save for the victor are defeated. This would mean that it would be literally, unless Shizuru were to somehow change "precious people" impossible for Natsuki to actually "win" the Carnival trials.

For Natsuki to win, she'd have to defeat all the Hime, including Shizuru. This would result in Natsuki disappearing. And for that, I pray to whatever deity there is that Natsuki does not win.

Yes, you heard me. I hope that my Mistress does not win the battle. I am a traitor. I know a Child is supposed to serve and obey his or her Mistress no matter what the order. I should be concentrating on protecting Natsuki and making sure that she wins the Carnival.

But I can't. I love Natsuki too much. If Shizuru is defeated, and either she or Kiyohime are destroyed, Natsuki will disappear. That means that Shizuru must never be defeated.

Natsuki's precious person…For now is her deceased mother, Saeko. Not Shizuru. Therefore, if Natsuki is defeated and I'm destroyed in the Carnival, nothing will happen to Shizuru and her Child, and therefore Natsuki will not disappear.

I am a traitorous Child, I know that I am. I hope that when the Carnival comes, I will be destroyed immediately before Natsuki can start to see Shizuru as her most precious person. So long as I am destroyed before then, Natsuki will be safe from disappearing.

If Natsuki never comes to see Shizuru as her most precious person, and is defeated and if Shizuru wins the Carnival, herself and Kiyohime safe and unharmed, Natsuki will be safe always, as long as that happens, I'm happy.

I know Natsuki would not be able to stomach me if she knew that I felt this way. She's as stubborn as I am. Hell, more than I am really. Even I admitted defeat at least sometimes, centuries ago when I did meet some stronger Orphans.

But even when Natsuki sees that it's more dangerous than anything else to go after the scum that murdered her mother. Does she think about whether or not she'll die? Of course not. Does she think about the possibility that she could get captured, tortured, brainwashed or worse? Never.

If I somehow had the power of a god, which compared to almost all humans and most Orphans I do, I'd force her to stop myself, even if it is taking her choice away. I want to be a good Child, but it seems that there's no way around this.

If it just weren't for that blasted Hime, Shizuru and her feelings for Natsuki, then I could proceed to serve my mistress for the rest of the Festival without guilt, would be able to dispatch each of the Hime's Childs without any distraction, even killing my dear friend Harry. But no, because of that wretched woman, Shizuru, I'm hindered from my services.

I've never hated any human as much as I hate that woman. It's not just jealousy as I've explained. Her feelings are a danger to Natsuki as well as something that angers me. I love my Mistress. More than I've loved anything or anyone else in either of these worlds.

She is unique from all the other Hime. She treats me as her companion, partner and even friend. This only hurts me more as I realize the extent of how I'm going to betray her. I'm committing the ultimate betrayal by allowing myself to be destroyed in the Carnival.

I'm not even going to fight back when I'm attacked. If anyone even tries to kill Natsuki, that will be the end of them. They will all be destroyed. But if they're only attacking me, then I won't stop them.

For a while now, I've suspected that maybe I'm not worthy of following Natsuki after she dies. There's an option all Childs have after their Mistresses pass away. They can choose either to stay with their mistresses after death and follow them to the afterlife, or the Childs can stay on earth and never reunite with their mistresses again.

I've always believed that if I'd ever came to that choice, I'd follow Natsuki. But now, I'm not so sure I'm worthy. I've travelled with Natsuki all around this island for years and even occasionally have gone to other places besides the island and city with her on her missions to discover new information.

I've come to know a great deal about her. I know how honorable and noble she is. I know how kind she really is, she just hides it very well. To be honest, I don't know why she hides her compassion and kindness. She of course would be beautiful no matter what emotion she'd show, but she's so beautiful when she exposes her more gentle side.

Is it disturbing, a Child talking about its Mistress this way? We Childs might be servants, but all Childs that are linked to Hime are without innocence in how they feel towards their Mistresses. I will not deny that I want Natsuki. You ask Julia and she would not deny either that she wants Nao as well. It's the same for Kagutsuchi, Gennai and Harry. We all have romantic feelings for our Mistresses. We sometimes even have feelings for our Mistresses most important people; in other words, the precious ones of our Hime mistresses.

This, much to my constant anger, is the problem that Kiyohime has. It's true, she cares for her mistress, that damned witch, Fujino, but Kiyohime is in love with Natsuki as well. Now, Kiyohime and I aren't that close. We are friends, but we're just not close. However, I could tell what Kiyohime's feelings were for Natsuki, just as well as I could tell what Fujino's feelings were.

And I despise her for it. Kiyohime takes away whatever time I have with Natsuki by invading my thoughts telepathically and demanding to know how Natsuki is. I can take care of her just fine, thanks Kiyohime.

God damn it, I got along with Julia way better. Speaking of which, I know also what Julia's mistress, Nao's feelings are for Natsuki

Yes, you heard me, Nao Yuuki also loves Natsuki. I've seen how she looks at my Mistress when she thinks my Mistress isn't looking. Strangely, I do not feel myself seething with contempt whenever I think of her feelings as opposed to how I feel when confronted with Fujino's feelings for Natsuki.

I trust Nao more than I do Fujino.

What's more, Natsuki isn't Nao's most important person, which means that Nao will not be a threat if she falls in love with Natsuki. The only problem is of course, if she ends up defeating Fujino. That's the only thing I'm worried about. I know how devastating losing your most precious person can be.

Believe me, I've seen it happen one too many times with my brother and sister Orphans in the last centuries.

Therefore, I know that it will be horrific and traumatic for Nao to lose whoever her precious person is once she's defeated, but it must happen so that Fujino is not defeated and Natsuki is safe. That's another terrible thing. Nao, I know probably has suppressed her stronger feelings, which is why Julia is smaller than she's supposed to be, simply because she has been traumatized in the past.

And once again, I'm betraying my mistress. First, I make it so that I will be destroyed in the upcoming battle so that i won't hurt Fujino or her Child, then to top everything off, I'm denying my mistress further happiness by making a potential love interest suffer worse than she probably already has.

I've been cruel in the past, twenty thousand years ago. So very cruel. But I've never thought I could have the potential for this. I hated the thought of ever causing harm to a child. An actual child, not one of the Hime's servants, but a small, young child. I actually had self-made rules against harming children. Nao is only thirteen. She's still a child.

And yet here I was, planning on how I was going to make her life worse by destroying her servant and in the process, her most important person, all to keep my own mistress safe, who I myself wasn't even going to stop from being defeated because I didn't want her to develop feelings for any of the Hime.

I know I'm disgusting.

This same motivation, this same reasoning is why I am not appearing right now and helping Natsuki escape Nao's webs. Nao managed to string out a tight red web of sorts and got Natsuki to literally trip over it with her motorcycle and had been knocked out. When she had come to, Nao had had her tied up thanks to Julia.

I could sense Natsuki calling for me. She had said nothing, but I heard her in my mind. Her heart was calling out to me. I felt the guilt inside of me weigh on my steel shoulders. I hated doing this. Back in my world, throughout the centuries, brute force and might were the only things a Child needed to survive. It's no different here in this sick, twisted Carnival. And yet, why is it that here in this world, I've done things so much worse than anything I've ever done in the world where I was born?

For all the lives I've taken in the world where we Childs and Orphans come from, none of that seems to compare to what I'm doing now. To the traitorous deed that I'm committing.

From Natsuki's mind, I stare at Nao Yuuki, ironically, possibly the only option Natsuki has for a loving relationship. I truly do not believe that Natsuki will find it with Shizuru Fujino. What that woman feels for Natsuki is not love.

It's obsession.

And yet, so ironically, here I am, hoping that the same wretch that I loathe so much will succeed and defeat all the others so that Natsuki will live.

We Childs really know how to dig ourselves deep into the masochistic hole, don't we?

In the end, I tell myself the same thing that I'm sure every Child has told themselves to excuse themselves of the actions that they're taking. I tell myself the same thing that's the only reason why we Childs haven't allowed the guilt to eat away at us.

I tell myself that I'm doing this for the same reason that all the other Childs tell themselves they commit the heinous crimes they do.

I'm doing this for my Mistress. There's the only excuse we Childs will ever be able to produce.

Hell, it's a lot better of an excuse than any I could come up with for the things I did back in my world. For all the carnage I committed back then, this is probably the most noble and yet the most disgusting thing I've ever done. And I actually have an excuse for it this time. Just priceless.

**Finally, done with Duran's POV. I guess the only one left is Midori's Child. God, it's been forever since I updated.**


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